No hate speech on social networks!
— Promo-LEX (@promolex) April 12, 2018
An Appeal to Prosecutor General's Office, Presidency, public figures within the ongoing local electoral campaign. More on this: https://t.co/04Bh4ka9AG#PromoLEX #HumanRights pic.twitter.com/A9CcQRfypF
Expression
Promo-LEX Association in Moldova has requested that the authorities investigate actions that incite hate speech and violence against persons who are in favour of the unification of the Republic of Moldova with Romania. According to Promo-Lex, on 9th April 2018 a Facebook post was published with a picture that could potentially incite hatred or violence against those supporting unification. The national legal framework prohibits actions aimed at enforcing national or ethnic divisions and devaluing national honour and dignity on national, ethnic, racial or religious affiliation.
Promo-LEX made a public appeal, asking that President Igor Dodon, who has published some similar messages on billboards, dissociate himself from such messages that divide Moldovan society. Also, experts are asking the law enforcement officers to intervene promptly and investigate harmful public messages. In the same context, Promo-Lex experts and lawyers ask public actors, political figures and social networking users to refrain from messages that incite hate speech and discrimination.
Peaceful Assembly
On 31st March 2018, Amnesty International Moldova, along with other non-governmental human rights organisations, held a public action to remind the government that the victims of the 7th April 2009 protests have been waiting for justice for nine years. During the 2009 post-election protests, police detained hundreds of protesters and there were documented cases of ill-treatment by police in detention.
The April 2009 events brought to light several underlying systemic problems that facilitate torture and other ill-treatment in the Republic of Moldova. Nine years after the flagrant abuses, the lack of sanctions against those guilty of violence shows that this issue remains unresolved.
Chisinau/ Moldova- PAC: review of Assiciation Agreement: debate on electoral law, open spece 4 NGOs,conditions4development- ML should fulfill all terms, UE should open financial support @AndyCristea pic.twitter.com/pC6cDUBafK
— Michał Boni (@MichalBoni) April 5, 2018
Association
On 28th March 2018, the Ministry of Justice sent the draft law on non-commercial organisations (the legal term used in Moldovan legislation for NGOs) to Parliament. Having such a law is a provision within the National Action Plan on the Implementation of the Association Agreement with the European Union. The law was developed in collaboration with civil society representatives over several years. Though there were attempts by government officials to make certain worrisome amendments, civil society signatories of a joint statement expressed satisfaction with the draft law as it stands and urged the government to pass it without making any unilateral amendments.